I was born 16-03-1960 in The Hague, where I still live. When I was about 6 years old I got my first Guinea-pig and ever since that moment I have never been without animals. Syrian hamsters and a cat followed the Guinea-pigs and when I was 11 years old my parents decided to get a dog from an animal shelter.A 10 months old dog "Bas" came and I was a very happy girl. I don't know what was wrong with him, but he sure was no suitable dog for novice dog people, and after 10 days he was returned, just because my parents could handle him. I was the saddest girl on earth and my parents then decided to let me have riding lessons, as I was already every day on the riding school very close to our house. Of course I was very pleased with that, and soon became a piece of furniture in the riding school for 20 years.When I was 16 my mother still wanted a dog, this time we bought a pup in the animal shelter. Ricky was a Labrador cross, and he was always with me. I trained a little obedience with him just to have nice control over him. Because he was a Lab cross I looked in all dog books I could find, and "later" I was going to have a "real" Labrador. In many books a photo of a Curly Coated Retriever is printed near the Labrador, and I always had to look at those pictures. I found it most a most particular breed, just like a sheep, a bit ugly, I couldn't say they were beautiful, but my eyes were always drawn to the pictures.In 1985 I was on a dogshow as a visitor and saw the Curlies in the flesh for the first time. I clearly remember that moment, it were the liver bitch Darelyn Quassia and the black bitch Gladrags Lorna, and the only thing I could say was : "Is that a Curly Coated Retriever?" I don't think I could say anything else, but the damage was done, I was infected with the Curly virus. In 1987 I was in the possibility to get my own Curly, and I was very lucky that Vincent came into my life. Life has never been the same since!!! For more about the dogs see their own pages. About work I could write a lot as I did so many different jobs, mostly in the animal world. I worked as a Groom in show jumping stables, I worked in a Zoo, I worked in offices, and for many many years I worked as a dog groomer. At present I work full time as a teacher in the Nature and Environment Education line.I did the all education in Holland to become a judge, and I am a qualified judge for Curly Coated retrievers, Welsh Springer Spaniels and Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. In my spare time I love to photograph dogs etc. Some of my favourite photographs you can see on this website in the photo gallery.